A Tale of Uzumaki Kushina
by gena kumo
Summary: Little glimses into Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze's life...with a little romance along the way. A tomboy and a genius...who would have thought...? MinatoXKushina
1. Hair Length

Chapter 1

"Hair Length"

"_Minato, be honest, why should __you__ care __heck__ about how long my hair is?" _

_This was one of the rare times she called him by his first name, most of the time it was "Namikaze the Numbskull" or "Nerdy Nami" or "Know-it-all Nami" or "Toe-kaze" , mixing the last parts of his names, or just "The tattle-tale", you take your pick. _

"_Minato-kun" or "Mini-kun" was usually just for spite, when she mimicked his annoying fan girls...of which he had many... _

_Why__ did his "perfect" hair and crystal blue eyes __have__ to be so appealing? He couldn't __help__ being terribly yellow-blond, dashing, and handsome! Ugghhh...life was not fair..._

_He hated those nicknames, and he most certainly was __not__ a smart aleck (just happened to be a __genius__ at ninjutsu...a "prodigy", his sensei had admitted it...once...), but the name calling made the moments she called him by his __real__ one __that__ more special. _

_"Well...uhh...it's..." Even for him, the smart, assured, never-let-his-cool-down guy, this question was awkward. She was so bluntly direct...like... "Really...bright...red."_

_"Your point...?" The head with short tomboyish strawberry hair, just an inch or two past her ears, with a left side part and side bangs, tilted; she was not following him. But he didn't really understand what he was saying either._

_"It's just...an unusual color...and having it ragged...and short...and kind of in your face makes the shade less noticeable. Like the fact that it's grown more auburn." _

_Well, since he was intelligent, he could be blunt too. Stating the facts, or what __he__ thought were the facts..._

_He could see the steam rising now. She did have __such__ a short temper._

_"DID __YOU__ just __DISS__ my HAIR!" She screamed. "And it is NOT ragged and" she pointed her finger at his chest, "__IN__-__MY__-__FACE__!" and poked him, __hard__, for each word, then blew a red strand out of her eyes._

_Though he winced at the pain, he smirked at her flushed face. He __did__ know how to get to her...how could he say it...he knew __just__ how to..."push the buttons"...of his friend. _

_"No." he answered defensively. "I just described it...and it's __true__, it __is__ short and it __is__ getting a little darker...though I didn't have a problem with the color in the __first __place." _

_Being opinionated, he __never__ saw anything he thought as wrong. Maybe __that's__ why she called him smart-alecky...hmmm..._

_What he'd said wasn't __completely__ what he thought though...he actually had been ...fascinated...maybe even...infatuated__...by the color from the first time this Uzumaki, whirlpool-nation girl had entered Konoha. _

_It did perfectly complement her delicate, pale face, almost sprite like in its mischievousness...__and__ the color of her eyes..._

"_Plus...I thought you weren't supposed to care...being 'completely immune to girly stuff' and all. You said it yourself to the guys last week." _

_Now he had her cornered, or at least, exposed. For what she truly was and always would be...a girl. It sometimes annoyed him how she ignored that __obvious__ fact. __Besides__ using the guys' bath house...she didn't go __that__ far. Except for that one time, on a dare when..._

"_How did you remember what I said...ohhh...never mind..." She gave up with an exasperated "huff", then fumed when she saw the smug look on his face. _

_The only reason she learned anything willingly was to win an argument with him. She __hated__ when she lost...and he gave her __that__ look._

"_You are __so__...Urrruuggh!" she raised her arm to give him a piece of her mind, of which, in his opinion, there was not much of...then paused in midair. "Waaait...did you just say that my hair was...darker...even...__auburn__?" Now __she__ grinned at __his__ flushed face._

_Crud...why did he let that not-so-insulting comment slip? He slapped his forehead as she silently gloated, apparently enjoying his unusual discomfort. He was on the spot._

_The best, and in his case, __worst__, and most delightful thing for a redhead to hear is that her hair is anything but what it is, a carroty red. Or in __her__ case, a darker, silkier, more __attractive__, carroty red. It was hard to remember things like that when she was the __only__ one in all of the leaf village, and maybe, the whole country. An unusual and fascinating color, but it suited her...and her vigor and strength. (__and__ unpredictable fighting techniques...)_

"_Little ole tomboy me, making Mr. 'Mysterious Pretty Boy' blush...I'm __flattered__." She teased in a high pitched, girlish voice, so unlike her natural, slightly deeper, airy...and strangely beautiful voice. She could change the pitch with ease._

_Though she pulled off the taunt coolly enough, her cheeks did turn a pink shade to match his. Maybe she wasn't making up __everything__ she said she thought._

_He did a thing he only did __rarely__...under extreme pressure...and instinctively rubbed the back of his head, cheeks still heating up. "Maybe I __did__ say that...but I'm __NOT__...turning...red." He protested, gritting his teeth and ducking his head down to try and control the blood rushing to his face._

"_Whatever you say..." She shrugged, rolling her eyes and walking past him. Suddenly she paused in mid stride, right by his hunched, embarrassed, humiliated figure._

_Leaning over towards him, just slightly, she whispered in his ear, "But if you __are__ turning red..." He felt a quick soft peck on his cheek and it sent an electric current through him, "keep doing it." She smirked. "The color suits you." _

_Then she wrinkled her nose. "You're cute when you slip up...Mini-kun." _

_After that, she casually skipped away, off the roof onto a hanging close line, balancing herself, and then acrobatically jumped off of it, propelling herself against a wall and flying from roof to roof. _

_Insulting him one minute, then bizarrely...flirting with him at the next? She always kept him on his toes. No matter how long he had known her, his friend, Uzumaki Kushina, he always knew what everyone was thinking or intending...__except__ for her._

_This time he could agree with her, though, as he watched the flickering red fade out of sight. But she had no __idea__ how much the color red __did__ suit him...maybe too much. _

_He sat there...dazed... _

_XXX_

_XXX_

_XXX_

Side note: Uzumaki Kushina is fun to write about, she's such a great character... and a red head! (look at chapter 382 and you'll see what I mean...)

and Namikaze Minato, Yondime Hokage, is **SO COOL**! (and pretty darn cute...though I'm not a husband stealer...yes, **I do** say they **did** get married!...Or just cross my fingers and hope... it is **depressing**, for Kplus shippers like me, how few...if **ANY**, ninja weddings there are!!)

I love both of these characters...in fact, I like the whole Uzumaki/Namikaze clan! It's fun to make stuff up about them...wish Minato and Kushina could have lived longer...and we could have known more about them.

I've kind of have some creative licence on the development of their characters, since there isn't much in the comics about them, and gave them their faults...(Geeze, they're still kids! Give them a break!)...like his pride (know-it-all-ness, since he's so smart) and her short temper (comes with the red hair...not to stereotype...[blond Naruto is an exception...) and they can be pretty annoying when you come down to it... Don't worry...they mellow with age. :)

And don't ask me how old they are...cuz I personally have NO idea...somewhere in their late/early teens???? oh well...


	2. Kushina Returns and Minato Makes Plans

**Disclaimer: I ADMIT IT!! im not the Multi Billionare or the Japanese Creative Genius that owns Naruto or these characters!! (surprise, surprise...) so THERE. :D everything's clear as a blank page now...right? All ideas belong to fairycloud22, so please do not copy. Thanks!**

**If anyone is confused, go back and read the first chapter. This chapter and the entire plot flows directly from it, so it doesn't make alot of sense at first if you just start on this chapter.**

**Now...to continue my story...**

XXX

XXX

XXX

Chapter 2

"Kushina Returns and Minato Makes Plans"

And still was. It had been four years, and she had grown her hair out, clipping her bangs back in a simple barrette. She had followed his advice...for once. It was a flowing, scarlet curtain now. And she had a stunning figure to match it.

"Minato...Minato-san?" The intern waited a moment, and then waved a hand in front of his face. "I apologize, Kushina, our fourth Hokage appears...deep in thought...maybe we should..."

_I think I know __exactly__ what he's thinking...that weird look...the empty stare..._

"JUST because I've been gone for a while AND I didn't have time to cut my hair during my training, DOESN'T give you the right to stare at me like I died...or grew horns...or something!" The fuming, redheaded, slender woman marched behind the cluttered desk and slapped him...clean across the face. "Snap out of it!"

"I wouldn't..." The female intern gasped. "Such disrespect! For the Hokage!" She left in a huff...maybe to go report the ranting, crazy redhead.

Hands on her hips, Kushina waited impatiently for Minato to blink and come around, sighing exasperatedly.

_Crud...this stinks. I spent all that time trying to get the boys in Kohona to accept me as one of them...for who I was...and __every__ one of them gawks at me like...__this__...like I'm some sort of __alien__! Or just a girl...in a bar...Uuggghh!! _

_People once couldn't tell if I even __was__ one or not...they used to think I was...a BOY! Hmmph..._

_Sensei was right...I might __have__ become_ _more...womanly. She said they would react this way, even though __I__ denied it. I just hoped Namikaze Minato would be different, since he couldn't __stand__ me. That's partially __why__ he was my friend in the first place. _

_Though I've always had a knack for making friends in the strangest places, even if it takes some time...and in __his__ case, lots of patience._

He turned, clutching his head and gasping, "Kushina?"

_However, he does look cute...maybe attractive...when he's off balance and surprised. That intern probably has __a lot__ of fan-girl fun working for the "stunning Hokage" in his "own regal office" along with the __rest__ of the village of gawking girls._

_What__ a __wonderful__ most __honoring__ privilege...to get to __stare__ at him all day! Though...__I__ wouldn't __exactly__ protest. _

She smirked. "That took you long enough...what's so shocking?" Her head tilted as she asked sarcastically, "Terrible news for the Yondaime Hokage?"

"Well...yes..." he stuttered, "and...no..." A sigh escaped him as he gave in, expressing his thoughts with a shrug, "I just missed you...really...that's all." He smiled with his trademark confidence, into her eyes. "It's been a long time...you've...changed." He took hold of her hand gently. "You really are...beautiful now, Kushina."

She blushed furiously at his touch and words in his now deepened voice. Giving herself only one extra second to leave her hand in his strong one, she softly pulled away.

"Now let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We just said hello..." she teased, and gave a faint smile. For a moment, they just stayed that way, smiling and secretly enjoying each others presence. It had been so long.

_I don't like to admit it...I've never been one to go for looks...but it is nice to see his yellow spiky hair, his determined (I say stubborn) chin, the quiet smile, and his vivid blue eyes...Alright! Maybe he __is__ downright handsome. _She sighed.

_At least he isn't half as stupid as I have found __some__ of the boys around here to be...sometimes he can be twice as smug though. _A smirk appeared on her face.

_Oh well, I can be a little thick headed too...He is, __my__ Minato, and that's what counts._

"I don't plan to." He grinned widely with his eyes squinted shut. "At least not in a few more years..."

Laughing at his forwardness, she fondly and disrespectfully ruffled the fourth Hokage's attractive hair. "You're impossible; you know that, don't you?" Kushina grinned mischievously.

After discussing their stories of the past years, and setting up a ramen fest (for Kushina), with all their old teammates of course...(Kushina wouldn't stand for some sort of..._date_) she left, and Minato leaned back in his chair casually, hands behind his head, thinking...

_I may be impossible, as you say, but I usually get what I want. (I became Hokage...didn't I?) When I set a goal...I never lose sight of it. I have my reasons...And I know exactly what I want now...It's just going to take some time...and I can wait...for you. _

A quiet smile crossed the Hokage's face...and on the face of a red haired beauty on the crowded street below. Who would have thought...

_XXX_

_XXX_

_XXX_

If you read closely, you can see some of the similarities they have to Naruto. Minato has his exact huge smile and physical features. (just check out the manga comics for pictures) He also rubs the back of his head when he's nervous...like Naruto has done around Sakura, and he has the same drive and confidence. (especially when it comes to wining Kushina's heart...that's why he's so assured about it, he never gives up. And Dats the ninja way! **:D**...sorry...just couldn't resist adding that quote**...:D**)

Kushina likes Ramen, exactly and obviously like Naruto. Also she is very forward, can make friends easily, isn't especially book smart, and doesn't have a lot of respect for authority figures. (Like Hokages...slapping him on the face! Really! **;D**) And does her "unpredictable fighting technique" in the first chapter sound familiar to you? ;D Kushina is truly the mother of the unpredictable ninja. (So she can keep Minato "on his toes"** :D**) Oh...ya...and they both have a really short fuse..._(Naruto&Kushina- "HEY!" fairycloud22- I'm just stating the facts...no offence... Naruto&Kushina- "Grrrrr..." fairycloud22- SEE)_


End file.
